The Flash, “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three”, Review!

The red sky is thundering over Earth-203 with the Huntress (Ashley Scott) racing across a rooftop of New Gotham in her black leather uniform.  She attempts to contact Oracle her colleague in Birds of Prey.  The show, Birds of Prey was a brilliant, but short lived show in 2002-2003.  It was based on a comic book team of women who first appeared in Showcase `96 #3 (1996).  She starts to lose communication when the anti-matter wave strikes the Clocktower and then takes Huntress!  A very short cameo to another DC series.  The Waverider orbits Earth-1.  The Monitor explains the search for the Paragons when Team Flash; Flash, Elongated Man (Hartley Sawyer), Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdez), and Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker) portals in.  

THE FLASH -- “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three” -- JOHN WESLEY SHIPP, CARLOST VALDES, DANIELLE PANABAKER  --  Katie Yu/The CW. 

Elongated Man has stretch powers he was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino in Flash #112 (1960).  He was introduced in the fourth season episode “Elongated Journey Into Night” (2017) of The Flash.  Barry hugs Iris.  Cisco goes to help Ray with the Paragon Detector.  Martian Manhunter, again in human form, wants to bring survivors across the multiverse to Earth-1.  Earth-96 Superman joins him.  The Paragon Detector identifes Martian Manhunter as the Paragon of Honor, the Paragon of Love is The Flash who is there, and lastly, an unknown man (Osiric Chau) as the Paradon of Humanity.  Cisco says he is Ryan Choi, physic professor in Ivy Town of Earth-1.  Ray is interested in returning to Ivy Town.  The new character actually becomes the new Atom in DCU: Brave New World #1 (2006) created by Gail Simone and John Byrne.  The Paragon Detector doesn’t make sense, what is the basis for its scan?  Does it identify characteristics of human beings and how those match heroes?  It makes more sense if it calculates possible heroes with something from the Book of Destiny.  

The ship’s voice, Leonard, announces the arrival of Diggle.  He is angry with Sara that he was not told about Oliver’s death.  She explains that Oliver’s return needs a trip to Purgatory, Diggle wants in, and then Sara drops another news, that his wife, Lyla is missing!    The Monitor says she can be anywhere in the multiverse and likely with the Anti-Monitor.  He explains to all of the heroes that he has tested them to prepare for his rival.  The Monitor says the Anti-Monitor’s plan is to destroy the multiverse to create his anti-matter universe.  Which would be under his control Supergirl adds.  She walks away and Batwoman follows her before taking out the Kryptonite used by Batman-99.  Sara will watch over Oliver’s body as Diggle goes to find his soul.  Cisco explains to Caitlin that he is tracking the anti-matter to find it’s source.  He has found it in underground of Earth-1.  The Monitor startles Cisco in the corridor.  He restores the powers and costume of Vibe to play his part.  Iris and Barry share a moment as she heads off to find Ryan Choi.  Vibe has brought Killer Frost to the tunnels of the Anti-Monitor.  Killer Frost has found who she thinks is Nash, but he says he is now Pariah.  Nash is one of the many forms of Harrison Wells who appeared in the sixth season of The Flash.  The character of Pariah first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 (1985). 

THE FLASH -- “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three” -- MELISSA BENOIST, RUBY ROSE -- Dean Buscher/The CW. 

Pariah was trapped by the Anti-Monitor trying to find him, he was used by the Anti-Monitor to appear in that universe, and now shows up in every world destroyed by the Anti-Monitor “to bear witness.”  He has lost his memories as Nash and suggests Cisco Vibe his memory of Nash to enter the door sealed by the Anti-Monitor.  Cisco takes hold of Pariah’s arm and has the memory of Nash using a sequence to open the door.  Does it occur to them that this could be an implanted memory that could be a trap?  Lex Luthor behind his force field laughs at Supergirl’s mission to bring back the Earths using the Book of Destiny.  Batwoman is impatient and takes Luthor out of the force field to force him to explain how to use the book.  He says that it takes will to control the book and that the power to bring back the worlds will drive the user of the book insane.  Batwoman tries to warn Supergirl.  Earth-666, Los Angeles, Constantine is walking in an alley with Diggle and Mia.  He explains that his magic is weak with the collapse of the multiverse and he needs help.  Constantine knocks on the door and walking out with some women is Lucifier (Tom Ellis)!  The character was created by Neil Gaiman with Sandman #4 (1989) as the devil abandoning hell to find refuge on Earth.  He was in his own series on Fox, which was cancelled, and then found new life on Netflix!  

Constantine greets Lucifier who did not expect him on his Earth.  He introduces himself as Lucifier Morningstar and uses his power on Mia!  She says she wants her father back.  Constantine explains that Oliver Queen has died.  Morningstar says that he owes Constantine for helping with Mazikeen, a female demon.  He gives Constantine `The Devil’ Tarot card and warns about how little time they have to find the soul.  Morningstar eyes Mia before leaving.  Constantine holds up the card which ignites and brings them to Purgatory.  Diggle says it looks like the beach of Lian Yu.  Constantine explains that Oliver thought of it as a place to be trapped.  Also, that his memory is gone so they have to jog them awake.  The Flash has searched the perimeter.  Vibe says they can stop the anti-matter wave from what is behind the door.  He activates the sequence and inside the room Pariah says that it is the nexus between the anti-matter universe and their own.  The wave is caused by the Anti-Matter Cannon.  Flash goes into the Speed Force to see the source of the red blur.  He sees the Flash of Earth-90 (John Wesley Shipp) on the Cosmic Treadmill before the force field knocks him back.  Shipp played Barry Allen in The Flash series from 1990 to 1991.  Later, we get a scene from the series and theme music by Shirley Walker!  Barry met Flash-90 in the “Elseworlds: Part 2” (2018) episode of Arrow.  The treadmill is what helps speedsters to travel through time.  The device was introduced in Flash #125 (1961) by John Broome and Carmine Infantino.   

THE FLASH -- “Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three” -- CRESS WILLIAMS --  Katie Yu/The CW. 

Pariah tells the heroes that the Anti-Monitor found Flash-90 and used the Anti-Matter Cannon to destroy Earth-2!  Killer Frost notes Jesse Quick, a speedster ally who was on that Earth.  Vibe uses his powers to form portals that allow Flash-90 to escape the anti-matter force field and the cosmic treadmill stops with cannon stopping the wave.  Flash-90 thanks them, but says the Anti-Monitor put in a fail safe to destroy all of the remaining Earths!  Pariah is suddenly missing.  The red sky over Ivy Town, Earth-1, Ryan is trying to reassure his wife when he sees Dr. Ray Palmer.  He ends the phone call to shake Ray’s hand while Ralph and Iris look on.  Ryan has used his paper to work on miniaturization, Atom-II!  Ralph shows his stretching power.  They tell him about being the Paragon, but he says he has to leave for his family.  Lois watches as Earth-73 is destroyed by the Anti-Matter Wave.  The Monitor tells him his Earth died and lost his family.  Superman-96 appears from a portal and says he failed to save anyone.  Lois asks him about the black symbol.  He explains that “Hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness.”  Slipping back into the role, Routh is perfect.  At the Anti-Matter Cannon, Black Lightning (Cress Williams) appears, first time in the Arrowverse.  Pariah has brought him from the destroyed Earth-73.  The heroes must find a may to destroy the Anti-Matter Cannon and it will take a sacrifice.  Diggle is the key to saving Oliver’s soul in Purgatory.  They are helped by Jim Corrigan known as The Spectre (Stephen Lobo), the character appeared in the Constantine series.  The Spectre in the comics was responsible for taking on The Anti-Monitor. Iris is needed to talk sense with Ryan.  Harbinger has a secret of her own. Another great episode, but Team Flash seems added in the story.   

Five Quantum Towers out of Five!   

#AshleyScott, #OsiricChau, #CressWilliams, #JohnWesleyShipp, #HartleySawyer, #CarlosValdes, #DaniellePanabaker